And you thought Bambi was sad! Friendly deer called Bucky is EUTHANIZED by Kansas wildlife officials after becoming too tame

A friendly deer that won the hearts of Hutchinson residents was sadly euthanized after officials decided the animal had become too tame.

Bucky the deer was a regular and welcome visitor to neighborhoods on the city’s north east side with residents even petting the wild animal.

On Tuesday however Wildlife and Parks officials were called to an active public safety issue involving Bucky.

‘Frankly a line was crossed that was to the detriment of the species’ Nadia Marji from Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks told the outlet.

‘It was well intended by these folks’ she added of the resident’s care for Bucky.

'All the kids in the neighborhood loved him' Hutchinson resident Aaliyah Davis said — ‘All the kids in the neighborhood loved him’ Hutchinson resident Aaliyah Davis said

A game warden caught Bucky, took him to a private farm and ‘humanely euthanized’ the animal.

‘All the kids in the neighborhood loved him’ heartbroken Hutchinson resident Aaliyah Davis told KSN news.

‘They loved seeing him, they considered him one of Santa’s reindeer.

‘He was the cutest thing. He loved the kids and when the kids went to go pet him.’

Concerned residents had previously reached out to nearby Hutchinson Zoo to inquire after the possibility of Bucky moving to the facility.

However, the zoo was unable to accommodate the deer as his tameness was considered a potential safety issue.

A game warden caught Bucky, took him to a private farm and 'humanely euthanized' the animal — A game warden caught Bucky, took him to a private farm and ‘humanely euthanized’ the animal

‘They don’t always realize that they’re deer, and we are humans, and when it comes to rut season for white-tailed deer specifically, they may look to humans for mates as opposed to deer,’ Zoo Director Nicole Mantz said.

Mantz also said Bucky’s unknown health status was a concern, as he may have had a chronic wasting disease, an exposure risk to the rest of the zoo’s animals.

‘There is still that exposure to the disease for the rest of our animals,’ Mantz explained.

Adding: ‘Not only would we have to cull the rest of our herd, but we would also never be able to have a member of the deer family on zoo grounds.’

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This article by Alice Wright was first published by The Daily Mail on 9 December 2023. Lead Image: Bucky the deer won the hearts of Hutchinson residents but was sadly euthanized after officials decided the animal had become too tame.